(BPT) – Health and wellness are meaningful to you, so you strive to make it a priority in your life. It’s also important to you to give back and you are looking for ways to do something truly meaningful for others. One activity that reflects all these values and makes a real difference is walking to raise funds for disease research, such as understanding the prototypical autoimmune disease lupus.
Whether you or someone you care about is living with lupus or not, you can make a positive contribution to the search for a cure, while also enjoying the benefits of a healthful walk and the empowering feeling that you are part of a larger community working toward a common purpose.
What is lupus?
According to the Lupus Research Alliance (LRA), lupus is a serious and chronic autoimmune disease, in which a person’s immune system attacks healthy cells by mistake. Lupus is a complex disease that is often debilitating. There is no cure and few treatment options, none of which work for everyone.
Lupus affects everyone differently, with varying symptoms that can make it difficult to diagnose. Some of the most common symptoms of lupus include extreme fatigue, joint pain, skin rashes and fevers. It disproportionately affects women, especially women of color, and is typically diagnosed in the prime of their lives.
How you can help
“Walk with Us to Cure Lupus” is the LRA’s signature national fundraising program, from which 100% of donations go to lupus research programs because the LRA Board of Directors funds all administrative and fundraising costs. Participating in the Walk, whether alone or as part of a group, is a fun way to support a worthwhile cause: helping to fund important research to develop personalized treatments, and ultimately, a cure for lupus.
What began with the very first walk in Washington, D.C., in 2002 has grown to now unite tens of thousands of people across the country, who together have raised nearly $45 million for lupus research. Each walk is motivated by one goal: to let people living with lupus know there is an entire community behind them, with everyone in it working toward finding a cure.
People living with lupus or who have loved ones with lupus find these walks especially meaningful:
- “I was diagnosed with lupus at the age of 9 and since then I have been participating with my family and friends at the Lupus Research Alliance Walk with Us to Cure Lupus,” said Miah SantaCruz, New Jersey
- “I chose the LRA because of the research they are doing to help fight back against lupus. I can see the wins each time a new grant is approved and they uncover more about this disease,” said Shelley Shuttlesworth, Texas
- “I walk for lupus every year in hopes of finding a cure for the disease that has affected my life,” said Ashley Saari, Florida
LRA’s community has shown its strong, ongoing commitment to one goal: supporting lupus research that will unravel the complexity of this debilitating disease so a treatment and cure can be targeted to each person.
Take action
You can join one of LRA’s in-person events or participate in this year’s virtual walk. Either way, you’ll unite with others in one common goal: to help people with lupus in their treatment journey and ultimately find a cure.
Ready to make a difference? Visit support.lupusresearch.org to register for a walk near you and start fundraising.